Stitched in Exile: The Creation of the First Philippine National Flag in Hong Kong
The Making of the Philippine Flag (Confeccion de la Estandarte Nacional), 1955, by Fernando Amorsolo. Oil on canvas. The painting depicts Marcela Agoncillo and her assistants sewing the national symbol, illuminated by Amorsolo's signature golden light.
The Historical Context of the Hong Kong Junta
Following the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in December 1897, General Emilio Aguinaldo and other prominent revolutionary leaders voluntarily went into exile in Hong Kong. While managing the revolutionary fund and closely monitoring political developments, Aguinaldo realized that a unified nation required a definitive national symbol. He designed the flag's concept himself and sought out trusted compatriots in the expatriate community to transform his sketch into reality.
The Three Seamstresses
Aguinaldo entrusted the monumental task to Marcela Agoncillo, who was living in Hong Kong with her husband, the first Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo. Marcela recruited two others to assist her in the tedious manual work:
Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo: The lead seamstress, revered in Philippine history as the "Mother of the Philippine Flag".
Lorenza Agoncillo: Her young daughter, who was only about five to seven years old at the time but helped with basic tasks.
Delfina Herbosa de Natividad: A close family friend and, notably, a niece of the Philippine national hero, Dr. José Rizal (daughter of his sister Lucia).
Location, Materials, and Craftsmanship
The flag was stitched at the Agoncillo family residence located at 535 Morrison Hill Road in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. Today, this site is integrated into Morrison Hill Park, where a bronze commemorative plaque stands to mark the historical event.
The women hand-sewed and embroidered the flag using fine silk fabric purchased from a local market. The task took exactly five days of intense, delicate labor. Marcela used a silver thimble—now carefully preserved at the Malacañang Presidential Museum—alongside a traditional sewing machine to bind the fabric. Notably, the original design featured an anthropomorphic "Sun of Liberty" with a stylized face, a common feature in Latin American revolutionary flags of that era.
Symbolic Meaning of the Original Design
The flag's design carried deep philosophical and political messaging intended to unify the archipelago:
White Equilateral Triangle: Symbolized liberty, equality, and fraternity, drawing heavy inspiration from the French Revolution and Katipunan Freemason rituals.
Royal Blue Stripe: Signified peace, truth, and justice.
Scarlet Red Stripe: Represented patriotism and valor.
Eight-Rayed Golden Sun: Represented the first eight provinces placed under martial law by Spanish authorities for starting the uprising (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, and Batangas).
Three Five-Pointed Stars: Originally represented the principal revolutionary strongholds: Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay (which represented the Visayas).
The Flag's Journey to Glory
Once completed, Marcela Agoncillo personally delivered the flag to Aguinaldo on May 17, 1898. He packed it securely as he boarded the American dispatch boat McCulloch to return to the homeland. The flag achieved immortality through two major consecutive milestones:
1. The Battle of Alapan (May 28, 1898)
The flag made its first official operational debut in victory after Filipino revolutionaries defeated Spanish forces in Imus, Cavite. This triumph is celebrated across the archipelago as National Flag Day.
2. Proclamation of Independence (June 12, 1898)
The same flag was formally unfurled and waved from the window of Aguinaldo’s ancestral mansion in Kawit, Cavite, cementing its status as the eternal symbol of Filipino sovereignty.
The Canvas of Memory: Amorsolo’s Confección de la Estandarte Nacional
While the physical creation of the first Philippine flag took place in a Wan Chai apartment in 1898, its permanent placement in the Filipino collective consciousness is largely due to a 1955 oil painting by the country’s first National Artist, Fernando Amorsolo. Commissioned during the post-war era by the Insular Life Assurance Company for a mere ₱1,000, the masterpiece remains one of the most widely replicated and culturally significant pieces of historical art in the Philippines. However, the artwork has long been surrounded by linguistic discrepancies regarding its proper title and romanticized historical inaccuracies.
The Linguistic Linguistic Debate: Estandarte vs. Bandera
Academic scrutiny surrounding the painting often focuses on its official title. Amorsolo, who was classically trained at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, originally titled the piece using formal Spanish phrasing.
The Correct Title: Confección de la Estandarte Nacional
The official historical title cataloged by the collectors and the Fernando Amorsolo Art Foundation is Confección de la Estandarte Nacional (often written in older texts with the archaic spelling Confeccion de la Standarte Nacional). Translated literally, it means "The Making of the National Standard." In classical Spanish vexillology, an estandarte (standard) refers specifically to a flag used by a head of state or military commander—aligning with the fact that General Emilio Aguinaldo privately commissioned the piece for the revolutionary government.
The Mistranslation: Confección de la Bandera Nacional
Over decades of textbook reproductions, the title frequently morphed into Confección de la Bandera Nacional. While bandera is the literal and more common Spanish word for "flag," this phrase is considered a colloquial mistranslation. It strips away the specific military-statehood nuance Amorsolo intended by choosing estandarte. In modern popular culture, both Spanish titles are widely bypassed in favor of its universal English moniker: The Making of the Philippine Flag.
Artistry vs. Historical Fact: Romanticizing the Seamstresses
Amorsolo was famous for backlighting—a technique called chiaroscuro that bathed his subjects in a glowing, golden tropical sun. While the painting successfully captures national identity and values of freedom, it prioritizes artistic romance over strict historical documentation.
The Geography: The window in the painting looks out onto a serene, rural Philippine landscape complete with tropical greenery. In reality, the flag was hand-sewn inside a cramped, urban residential district along Morrison Hill Road in Hong Kong.
The Demographics: The painting depicts three fully-grown, mature Filipino women focused intensely on their needlework. Historically, Lorenza Agoncillo was a young child between five and seven years old during the trip. She assisted her mother with basic tasks rather than operating as an adult contemporary seamstress.
Current Status and Provenance
The original framed 1955 oil painting survives intact. It remains a crown jewel of the Insular Life (InLife) Corporate Art Collection and is permanently housed inside the InLife Corporate Centre Tower in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
REFERENCE
Flag of the Philippines. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.
Marcela Agoncillo. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. (2022). Museo nina Marcela Mariño at Felipe Agoncillo.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines Registry. (n.d.). The Philippine National Flag (Historical Marker at 535 Morrison Hill Road, Hong Kong).
Fernando Amorsolo Art Foundation. (n.d.). The Master’s Works: Historical Paintings.
fernandoamorsolo.com
Insular Life Archives. (2020, May 28). Kuwentong Pamana: ‘The Making of the Philippine Flag’ by Fernando Amorsolo. Insular Life Assurance Company.
https://www.facebook.com/dtcam.manila/posts/kuwentong-pamana-the-making-of-the-philippine-flag-by-fernando-amorsolothe-paint/577206386267059/
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, May 19). Fernando Amorsolo. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Amorsolo
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